SF Gate newspaper just posted the origin story of the taco truck!

In 1969, Mexico City-born husband-and-wife team Raúl and Lupe Martinez arrived in Los Angeles by way of Tijuana. After a few years, the couple grew a fledgling street taco operation that centered around MacArthur Park into a true business, converting an ice cream truck into a fully operational kitchen in 1974. The pair promptly launched the rebuilt rig on the streets of greater LA, setting up curbside to quickly serve smaller, more compact tacos to people at bars or events.

King Taco was able to pump out from its truck. Here, carne asada, cabeza and al pastor ruled, served with simple additions and salsas for a more discerning Mexican customer base around LA.

The truck’s unique setup, with an ordering window, flattop grill inside and tremendous mobility, was more than a novelty of the age — it is today widely regarded as the first taco truck in the county, including by Los Angeles Times columnist Gustavo Arellano in his book “Taco USA: How Mexican Food Conquered America.”

Within a decade of King Taco rolling out on wheels, there were more than 500 different taco trucks in the LA area.

According to L.A. in a Minute, the truck sold $70 worth of tacos on its first night in 1974, doubling that number on its second evening of service. The Martinezes would later grow King Taco into a fleet of trucks and more than 20 standalone brick-and-mortar locations across Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties.

https://www.sfgate.com/la/article/first-taco-truck-la-22075020.php

https://kingtaco.com/

King Taco sponsors a Nascar team, and a 24 Hours of LeMans team